Small Wonders Whites Case

In a region which is almost exclusively dedicated to red wines made from gamay, Jean-Paul Brun has made a name for himself making exceptional whites. The vines are located in Charnay, on clay-limestone soils, one of the best terroirs for expressing chardonnay, the sole grape variety for Beaujolais Blanc. Opting for Burgundian-style winemaking, two thirds of the blend for the Fût de Chêne is fermented and aged for one year in Burgundian barrels (5% new), with regular battonage (stirring of the yeast lees) which adds texture and roundness to the wine, with the remaining third raised in larger vats. The result is a chardonnay that has lovely richness but is also expressive and fresh, with notes of roasted hazelnuts and subtle toast alongside ripe lemon flavours. To give this chance to shine, decant an hour before serving.

Aligoté is a grape that's loved amongst fans of Burgundy but little known outside of the famed French region. On recent travels to Australia, buyer Freddy Bulmer found a lot of people talking about the potential for Australian aligoté and having tried a selection he was impressed. This example was a stand out and comes from a very talented winemaker called Natillie Johnston (Tillie J) who sources the fruit from the King Valley. As our fine wine manager said when Freddy first showed him this wine, 'this could be from Burgundy.' The nose is fresh, focused and linear with a lovely subtle hint of lemon zest and jasmine, softened up by the subtle use of French oak barriques. The palate is pure and has a lovely toasted lemon note, supported by a delicate hint of cashew and more fresh jasmine. It is tightly wound, with tension and freshness but a beautifully measured level of generosity. Moreish, classy and delicious, and an impeccable argument not only for the potential of aligoté in Victoria but also the skill of this very talented winemaker.

Ex-ballerina Cécille Dusserre is now joined by her daughter and this estate is getting better year on year. This clairette-dominated white Vacqueyras (along with grenache blanc, viognier and roussanne) is bright and fresh and full of flavour with an attractive texture and hints of orange blossom.

Assyrtiko is increasingly grown on Greece’s largest island of Crete, and this shows appealing ripeness on the palate of quince, toasted lime and peach, with typically firm acidity and clean palate. For lovers of assyrtiko and albarino, this proves that assyrtiko can flourish outside of its native Greek island home of Santorini..

Bullas is a lesser known DO, the most southerly of the Murcian appellations, and although lesser known than some, it has a long, rich history of winemaking, with many high-altitude, mountainous vineyards, the best of which are dry-farmed and hand-harvested. Bullas is a collaboration between Norrel Robertson MW aka 'El Esocoses volante" and the historical co-operative Bodegas Rosario. Norrel has brought his neo-Burgundian winemaking expertise to help produce a stunning white. The wine comes from two vineyards between 800 and 1,200m above sea level. The aromatic blend of malvasia, macabeo with a touch of airén is barrel fermented, then yeast lees stirred resulting in a big and beautiful Spanish white with gorgeous ripe pear, creamed corn, pastry, quince and white flowers, combined with fabulous texture and structure, making it excellent for all sorts of foods.

The first ever Cornerstone White from Reyneke is a delicious blend of 70% sauvignon blanc with 24% semillon and 6% chenin blanc - all of the white grapes grown on this incredible biodynamic farm in Stellenbosch's Polkadraai Hills. Winemaker Barbara Melck explains that 'the chenin almost unifies it and makes it more unique and a bit more Reyneke.' It is a vibrant, textural, zesty white which balances racy freshness with lovely mid-palate weight. Understated and elegant on the nose, with jasmine blossom and sea-breeze saltiness, this shows vivid citrus fruit on the palate, orange as well as lime, and is both approachable and complex. The debut of this white is part of a reimagined and reshaped Cornerstone which we are proud to launch at The Wine Society. Cornerstone is the name given to the long-term social initiative developed by Reyneke to support their farm workers in buying their own houses and gaining access to tertiary education. For years now, Reyneke has put all of the profits from the sales of Cornerstone wine back into the farm. With this relaunch, Cornerstone is being extended beyond the farm with all participants in the supply chain invited to contribute, leading us into a new way of doing business. The Wine Society has chosen to pay Reyneke an extra £1 per bottle for these wines, while keeping the selling price to our members what it would have been at the original cost price.